Release: Immediate

Contacts:
Michael R. Murray (ISO)
201-469-2339
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Sue McKenna (NAII)
847-297-7800

Loretta Worters (III)
212-346-5500

For INSURANCE SERVICES OFFICE, INC. (ISO) and the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT INSURERS (NAII)

PROPERTY/CASUALTY INDUSTRY'S NET INCOME SURGES, BUT SLOWING PREMIUM GROWTH MAY HAMPER FURTHER PROGRESS

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Dec. 22, 2003 — The U.S. property/casualty industry's net income after taxes rose to $21.1 billion in the first nine months of 2003 from $5 billion through nine-months 2002, as both underwriting and investment results improved. Reflecting the industry's income and unrealized capital gains on investments, its surplus, or statutory net worth, increased 12.1 percent to $319.9 billion at September 30 from $285.4 billion at year-end 2002, according to Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) and the National Association of Independent Insurers (NAII).

The increase in net income and the growth in surplus through nine-months 2003 confirm the industry'scontinuing recovery from the soft markets of the 1990s. Yet even with the 320.6-percent increasein net income through nine-months 2003, the industry's income during the period was 22.8 percentbelow its income through nine-months 1997. Surplus as of September 30 this year was $19.4 billion,or 5.7 percent below its peak of $339.3 billion at June 30, 1999.

"Reflecting the sharp increase in income through nine-months 2003, insurers' profitability improvedsignificantly, with the industry's annualized rate of return on average surplus rising to 9.3 percentduring the period from 2.4 percent during the first nine months of 2002," observed John J. Kollar,ISO vice president for consulting and research. "The industry's annualized rate of return throughnine months has bounced back from a low of minus 1.1 percent during the first three quarters of 2001to its highest level since the 10 percent for nine-months 1998. While the progress rebuilding profitabilityis encouraging, only time will tell whether insurers ever regain profitability like the 13.3-percentannualized rate of return for nine-months 1997 or the 15.1-percent rate of return for full-year1986."

Despite higher catastrophe losses, pre-tax operating income climbed 159.5 percent to $22.1 billionfor nine-months 2003 from $8.5 billion for nine-months 2002. Operating income is the sum of gainsor losses on underwriting, net investment income and other miscellaneous income.

Spurring improvement in the industry's results, net losses on underwriting decreased 68.8 percent in nine-months 2003 to $5.7 billion from $18.2 billion in nine-months 2002.

Net investment income — primarily dividends from stocks and interest on bonds — grew 3.2 percent to $27.7 billion for nine-months 2003 from $26.9 billion for nine-months 2002.

Operating income through nine-months 2003 also benefited from $106 million in miscellaneous other income, up from negative $94 million in nine-months 2002.

The figures are consolidated estimates for all private property/casualty insurers based on the reports of insurers that account for 96 percent of all business written by private U.S. property/casualty insurers.

Also contributing to the increase in net income, U.S. property/casualty insurers realized $5.9 billion in capital gains on investments in nine-months 2003 — a sharp contrast to the $1.3 billion in capital losses realized in nine-months 2002. Net investment gains — the sum of net investment income and realized capital gains (losses) — grew 31.3 percent to $33.6 billion for nine-months 2003 from $25.6 billion for nine-months 2002.

The industry's federal income taxes climbed to $6.9 billion for nine-months 2003 from $2.2 billion for nine-months 2002, partially offsetting the increase in pre-tax operating income and the positive swing in realized capital gains.

Underwriting results improved as premium growth outpaced growth in loss and loss-adjustment expenses,other underwriting expenses and dividends to policyholders. Net written premiums climbed $28.3 billionto $308.6 billion in nine-months 2003, but premium growth versus year-ago levels slowed to 10.1 percentfrom 13.8 percent in nine-months 2002. Nonetheless, the 10.1-percent increase in written premiumsin the first nine months of 2003 is the second largest increase in premiums through nine months since1987, when premiums for the period rose 10.9 percent.

Earned premiums climbed 11.6 percent in nine-months 2003 to $288.7 billion, with earned premium growth accelerating slightly from the 11.4-percent increase for nine-months 2002.

"The significant improvement in underwriting and overall results through nine-months 2003 is verywelcome, and we believe underwriting results will improve further as rate increases in insurancemarkets continue working their way into earned premiums and down to insurers' bottom line," saidDon Griffin, NAII assistant vice president for business and personal lines. "To insurers' credit,much of the progress to date reflects increased attention to the fundamentals of our business — solidunderwriting, cost-based pricing and careful claim settlement. Now the 64-thousand-dollar questionis, How long will insurers maintain their focus on the fundamentals? Each improvement in insurers'results makes it that much harder to resist the temptation to ignore the fundamentals and go formarket share," said Griffin.

"The current hard market is already showing its age. Written premium growth climbed fairly steadilyfrom 1.8 percent in nine-months 1999 to a peak of 13.8 percent in nine-months 2002 but has sinceslowed to 10.1 percent in nine-months 2003," added Kollar. "What's more, ISO MarketWatchÌ data showrate changes on renewals of commercial policies are losing momentum. Rate changes on renewals firstturned positive in July 1999 and accelerated for three years, peaking at 12.9 percent versus year-agolevels in July 2002. But since then, rate changes on renewals have been slowing, dropping to just7.7 percent this past June. And recent market surveys suggest that rate increases have continuedto moderate, with rates for some coverages and market segments now flat to down. All else being equal,insurers will have an increasingly difficult time maintaining growth in net income as rate increaseswane."

Catastrophe losses more than doubled in nine-months 2003, increasing to $10.1 billion from $4.1billion in nine-months 2002, according to ISO's Property Claim Services (PCS) unit. The $10.1 billionin catastrophe losses through nine-months 2003 compares with an average of $8.8 billion in catastrophelosses during the first nine months of the ten years from 1993 to 2002, and that ten-year averageincludes record losses from the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.

Despite the sharp increase in catastrophe losses, overall loss and loss-adjustment expenses rose just 5.5 percent to $217.7 billion in nine-months 2003 from $206.2 billion in nine-months 2002. Non-catastrophe loss and loss-adjustment expenses rose 2.7 percent to $207.5 billion in nine-months 2003 from $202.1 billion a year earlier.

Other underwriting expenses — primarily acquisition expenses; other expenses associatedwith underwriting, pricing and servicing insurance policies; and premium taxes — rose 8.9 percentto $75.9 billion in the first nine months of this year from $69.7 billion in the first nine monthsof last year.

Dividends to policyholders dropped 7.1 percent to $852 million in nine-months 2003 from $917 millionin nine-months 2002.

The underwriting loss for nine-months 2003 amounts to 2 percent of the $288.7billion in premiums earned during the period, down from 7.1 percent of the $258.6 billion in premiumsearned during the comparable period last year. The combined ratio — a measure of losses andother underwriting expenses per dollar of premium — improved to 100.3 percent for the firstnine months of this year, 4.7 percentage points better than the 105 percent a year ago.

"The 100.3-percent combined ratio for the first three quarters of 2003 is the best nine-monthunderwritingresult for any year since at least 1986, when our quarterly records begin," said Kollar. "Nine-monthresults would have been even better if not for the increase in catastrophe losses. While the reportedcombined ratio improved 4.7 percentage points versus the same period last year, it would have improvedby 6.8 percentage points had catastrophe losses stayed at the same level."

The $34.5-billion increase in the industry's consolidated surplus through nine-months 2003 contrasts with a $16.1-billon decline through nine-months 2002. The increase in surplus during the first nine months of 2003 consisted of $21.1 billion in net income after taxes, $13.9 billion in unrealized capital gains on investments, $4 billion in new funds paid in, and $1 billion in miscellaneous surplus changes, less $5.5 billion in dividends to stockholders.

The $13.9 billion in unrealized capital gains through nine-months 2003 contrasts with $23.1 billionin unrealized capital losses through nine-months 2002.

The $4 billion in new funds paid in during nine-months 2003 is down 34.7 percent from the $6.2 billion in new funds paid in during nine-months 2002.

The $1 billion in miscellaneous additions to surplus through nine-months 2003 compares with $716million in miscellaneous additions to surplus through nine-months 2002.

The $5.5 billion in dividends to stockholders in nine-months 2003 constitutes a 9.1-percent increase from the $5 billion in dividends to stockholders in nine-months 2002.

Combining realized and unrealized capital gains, insurers enjoyed $19.8 billion in overall capital gains on investments in nine-months 2003 — a $44.1-billion positive swing from the $24.3 billion in overall capital losses in nine-months 2002.

"The improvement in investment results reflects a combination of growth in insurers' holdings of cash and invested assets and recent developments in financial markets," noted NAII's Griffin. "The 3.2-percent increase in investment income in nine-months 2003 is the net result of a 9.3-percent increase in insurers' average holdings of cash and invested assets and a 5.6-percent decline in the yield on cash and invested assets. And the swing from overall capital losses during the first nine months of 2002 to overall capital gains during the first nine months of 2003 reflects the recovery in equity markets. Through September of this year, the S&P 500 rose 13.2 percent — a sharp swing from the 29-percent decline in the S&P 500 in the first nine months of 2002.

"Near-term, insurers can look forward to further investment gains," added Griffin. "The factors that bode well for investment gains include recent increases in interest rates and the strength in equity markets thus far in the fourth quarter. Recovering from a 45-year low of 3.33 percent last June, the average yield on ten-year Treasury notes rose to an average of 4.45 percent in August and has held fairly steady since, averaging 4.30 in November. In addition, with the S&P 500 having risen 9.4 percent from the end of the third quarter through December 18, we can expect insurers to post some capital gains when reporting fourth-quarter results," Griffin said.

ISO's Kollar cautioned, however, that "as good as the near-term outlook for investment gains maybe, insurers cannot rely on investment gains from fickle financial markets to achieve success overthe long haul. History shows that the S&P 500 declined in 13 of the 43 years from 1960 to 2002and that insurers suffered overall capital losses in 12 of those 13 years. History also shows thatinsurers' investment income declined in 6 of the 11 years from 1992 to 2002." Observed Kollar,"Ifinsurers want to regain profitability like the 15.1-percent return on average surplus they enjoyedin 1986, they need to continue focusing on the core fundamentals of the insurance business. To geta 15.1-percent rate of return with today's investment results, financial leverage and tax rates,insurers would need to get the combined ratio down to 94.6 percent — 5.6 percentage pointsbetter than the actual combined ratio through nine-months 2003 and 13.4 percentage points betterthan the 108.1-percent combined ratio for 1986, when the yield on ten-year Treasury notes averaged7.7 percent."

Third-Quarter Results
The industry's consolidated net income after taxes for third-quarter 2003 amounted to $6.6 billion, more than ten times the industry's $647 million in net income in third-quarter 2002. The industry's net income for third-quarter 2003 reflects the excess of $6.5 billion in pre-tax operating income and $1.3 billion in realized capital gains on investments over $1.2 billion in federal income taxes.

The industry's third-quarter pre-tax operating income of $6.5 billion is up from $2.6 billionin third-quarter 2002. Third-quarter 2003 operating income consisted of $3 billion in pre-tax underwritinglosses, $9.4 billion in pre-tax net investment income and $31 million in miscellaneous other income.

The $3-billion underwriting loss is down 51.8 percent from the $6.2-billion underwriting loss in third-quarter 2002. Underwriting results would have improved even more if not for sharply higher catastrophe losses, which quintupled to $3.6 billion in third-quarter 2003 from $715 million in third-quarter 2002, according to ISO's Property Claim Services unit. The $3.6 billion in catastrophe losses during third-quarter 2003 compares with an average of $3.4 billion in third-quarter catastrophe losses during the ten years from 1993 to 2002. Excluding 2001, third-quarter 2003 catastrophe losses were more than twice the average of $1.5 billion from 1993 to 2002.

The third-quarter 2003 underwriting loss represents 3 percent of the $98.7 billion in premiums earned during the period, down from 6.9 percent of the $89.5 billion in premiums earned during the third quarter of last year. The industry's combined ratio improved to 101.3 percent in third-quarter 2003 from 104.7 percent in third-quarter 2002.

The $3-billion underwriting loss includes $212 million in premiums returned to policyholders as dividends, down 29.1 percent from $299 million in third-quarter 2002.

Written premiums rose to $105.7 billion in third-quarter 2003 from $97.5 billion in third-quarter 2002. Though written premium growth slowed to 8.4 percent in third-quarter 2003 from 16.8 percent in third-quarter 2002, it remained stronger than the 6.1-percent increase in third-quarter 2001.

The $9.4 billion of net investment income in third-quarter 2003 is up 5.3 percent from $9 billion in the same period last year. The $31 million in miscellaneous other income in third-quarter 2003 contrasts with $119 million in miscellaneous charges against income in third-quarter 2002.

The $1.3 billion in realized capital gains is a positive swing from $668 million in realized capitallosses during the third quarter of 2002.

Combining net investment income and realized capital gains,the industry posted $10.8 billion in net investment gains in third-quarter 2003, up 29.9 percentfrom $8.3 billion a year earlier.